Maurice Kamto, leader of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM), has fiercely condemned the recent rejection of his presidential candidacy, accusing the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) regime of deliberately orchestrating his exclusion from the upcoming October election.
Two days after the Constitutional Council upheld the invalidation of his candidacy, Kamto declared on Thursday, August 7, 2025, that the decision was part of a calculated plan to sideline him.
“The decision to exclude me from the 2025 presidential election was taken a long time ago by the RDPC regime,” he asserted, alleging the government fabricated a “fake Manidem president” and a “fake second candidacy” to create confusion and justify invalidating his application.
Kamto explained that his candidacy, submitted under the banner of the African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (Manidem), was initially rejected by the Electoral Council of Cameroon Elections (ELECAM) on July 26 before the Constitutional Court dismissed his appeal as “unfounded” on August 5.
He charged that ELECAM, the Ministry of Territorial Administration, and the judiciary have colluded against him, thwarting his political ambitions.
He also criticised the postponement of legislative and municipal elections from February 2025 to March 2026, viewing it as a tactic to prevent the CRM from securing elected representatives—a prerequisite under electoral law to present a presidential candidate. “Nothing prevented the MRC from presenting a candidate,” Kamto insisted.
Turning his ire to the international community, he singled out the United Nations for allegedly signing a secret agreement with ELECAM on May 9, 2025, meant to “allegedly guarantee the transparency of the election,” accusing it of abandoning the values it professes to uphold.
Kamto expressed gratitude to allied political parties including the Front for Change in Cameroon (FCC) and the Political Alliance for Change (APC), as well as Manidem’s president, Anicet Georges Ekane, and called on MRC supporters to remain steadfast.
He announced the closure of his presidential campaign fundraising, with plans to reimburse contributors.
“I stand and will remain by your side. The struggle continues,” he vowed.
The Constitutional Council confirmed twelve candidacies on August 5, invalidating Kamto’s due to “multiple nominations.” His lawyer, Hippolyte Meli Tiakouang, denounced the ruling as “97% political.”
Kamto, who secured over 14% of the vote in the 2018 election and remains the main challenger to incumbent Paul Biya, now faces the reality of exclusion from the 2025 race.
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